1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a chain link weaving machine, and more particularly, to an improved chain link weaving machine including components for bending, trimming, welding and painting flattened top and/or bottom ends of chain link material formed thereon.
2. Description of Related Art
Chain link fence, and weaving machines for making the same, are well known in the art. Companies such as BMCI, Inc., dba Bergandi Machinery Company of South El Monte, Calif., manufacture and sell various types of chain link weaving machines. In the known Bergandi Machines, two strands of wire from two large coils of wire are continuously fed onto a forming mechanism (weaving blade), so that two needles at a time are formed into a picket in an intercoiled manner and then woven by a trough weaving mechanism to form continuous links of chain link.
After being woven together, the just woven picket is cut off at the ends, and a wire fabric of open construction is formed having sharp, cut ends. The formed wire fabric is then indexed through the machine to a point along the top thereof where selvage is performed. This selvage normally is accomplished by turret knucklers which form knuckles by bending over the sharpened ends thereof, or other turret mechanisms to twist the ends and form sharp barbs thereon.
These barbed or knuckled ends formed on the chain link fabric are then utilized as the top and bottom of the fabric when the fence is mounted on poles, or the open wire fabric may be used in furniture, land fill, mines, rock control, soil retention or other areas.
Such chain link fabric having knuckled or barbed ends, may be rolled into compacted form, i.e., wherein the diamonds formed in the chain link fabric are collapsed into each other so as to form a tighter roll of material. However, the knuckled or barbed ends of such compacted rolls become tangled and/or may be pulled apart when the roll is unwound.
Although there are known types of fence, such as gabion, which might have flattened tops or bottoms, this type of fence is more expensive and is of a lighter gauge than chain link fabric. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,097 (xe2x80x9c""097xe2x80x9d) to Garcia discloses an apparatus and method for forming chain link fabric with flattened ends. In the Garcia ""097 patent, the ends of the wire used to make such chain link fabric are first cut, then bent, then secured together at a single station to form both flat top and bottom portions on the chain link fabric.
Therefore, although the Garcia ""097 patent described an apparatus that produces acceptable material and results, there still exists a need in the art for an apparatus and method that produces superior chain link material in an expeditious manner on a compact machine allowing unparalleled control and welding of chain link material, to produce butt-welded ends that are then painted to prevent corrosion.
It is, therefore, a general object of the present invention to provide chain link material having flattened, tangle-free top and/or bottom portions. It is a particular object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified method for making chain link fabric with welded flattened ends. It is another particular object of the present invention to provide apparatus for bending, trimming, securing together and painting cut ends of woven chain link fence to form flattened, tangle-free ends thereon. It is a further particular object of the present invention to provide tangle-free, compactible chain link material that has its ends bent, trimmed, welded together and painted in an improved manner. And it is a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved machine to produce welded chain link material with flattened bottom and top ends, which flattened ends are bent, trimmed, butt-welded together and painted in a more accurate and controlled manner.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing apparatus for bending, trimming, welding together and painting cut ends of wire used in chain link material to form flattened ends on the chain link material. The bending, trimming, welding and painting of all the cut ends of the chain link material is performed at a series of stations on a top area of a simple, compact chain link fence weaving machine. The cut ends of the wire used in chain link material are indexed to a bender where it is first bent and then to a trimmer where the cut ends are trimmed to desired lengths by means brought into contact with the cut ends. The trimmed ends are then indexed to a welding station where the trimmed, bent ends are moved together and butt-welded. After welding, the welded ends are painted at a further station.